# American Dopers, Liberal or Conservitive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 4, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465 "2007-07-04T04:55:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/41 "2007-07-04T20:34:54Z")
Fiscally conservative but willing to pay for good stuff that works. Socially extremely liberal, do not feel government has any business in personal business at all. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/42 "2007-07-04T21:01:07Z")
I’m, uh, conservative, I guess… though with notable exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/43 "2007-07-04T21:06:09Z")
[QUOTE=Klaatu] Do you consider yourself a liberal or a conservative? [/QUOTE] No, I do not. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/44 "2007-07-04T21:18:58Z")
[QUOTE=Klaatu] With apologies, I would like to keep this US centric, as European attitudes can be very different. Simple question, please no commentary. Do you consider yourself a liberal or a conservative? Please refrain from bashing current or previous administrations, just a straight up answer. Thanks. [/QUOTE] Liberal comes closer, especially nowadays. (Definitions of each term are always a bit in flux, yes?). I’m actually an anarchist and there _are_ aspects of liberalism that seem to intrinsically favor authoritarian big government (in paternalistic mode, not in heel-on-your-throat oppressor-mode, perhaps, but authoritarian nonetheless); but I am less and less inclined to associate American conservatism with opposition to authoritarian government, therefore less and less inclined to say “neither/both”. Hmmph…except economically. I’m not a redistributivist. I agree with the liberals (hell, with the marxists for that matter) about the unfairness of the market economy, but I agree even more strongly with the conservatives that redistributivism doesn’t fix the problem and does in fact bleed the market economy and throw sand in its gearwork without really replacing it with anything. Fooey. Shoulda stuck with a one-word answer, I’m not adding much clarity, am I? ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/45 "2007-07-04T21:25:52Z")
Centrist with liberal-leaning tendencies. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/46 "2007-07-04T21:32:25Z")
Conservative. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/47 "2007-07-04T23:19:27Z")
Centrist/Libertarian. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/48 "2007-07-04T23:35:47Z")
Socialist. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/49 "2007-07-05T00:17:07Z")
Small-i independent. ---
**Author:** ![Kneepants\_Erasmus\_the\_Humanist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@Kneepants\_Erasmus\_the\_Humanist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kneepants_Erasmus_the_Humanist)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/50 "2007-07-05T02:06:22Z")
:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Kneepants\_Erasmus\_the\_Humanist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@Kneepants\_Erasmus\_the\_Humanist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kneepants_Erasmus_the_Humanist)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/51 "2007-07-05T02:06:11Z")
I would consider myself to be a Socialist leaning, small “i” independent. But since that’s not the question… A Nader/Kucinich loving Liberal. (I thought about that as a ticket…and came a little 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/52 "2007-07-05T03:09:47Z")
Libertarian conservative. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Machine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Ice\_Machine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Machine)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/53 "2007-07-05T14:06:29Z")
[QUOTE=SmartAleq] Fiscally conservative but willing to pay for good stuff that works. Socially extremely liberal, do not feel government has any business in personal business at all. [/QUOTE] This description fits me but considering most people think of the social aspect and the current administration is far from being fiscally conservative I just tend to describe myself as extremely liberal. By Canadian standards I’m already well left of center. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/54 "2007-07-05T14:12:46Z")
Big-tent New Deal civil-liberties shave-and-a-haircut Middle West liberal. Give 'em hell Harry! ---
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/55 "2007-07-05T14:17:48Z")
Quite conservative, with a lot of Libertarian leanings. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/56 "2007-07-05T14:18:11Z")
I am a socially liberal and green, but I am a Hawk (or at least I was until this administration) and I do like smaller government. So, I do not fit into any pigeon hole. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/57 "2007-07-05T18:31:26Z")
Varying wildly – conservative on gun control, strong military, and stay-out-of-people’s-personal-lives for example, but liberal on human rights and almost downright socialist on health care. I come down as slightly to the right of most of my friends and rather to the left of the rest of America. ---
**Author:** ![rivulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rivulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rivulus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/58 "2007-07-05T18:40:06Z")
Socially liberal. Fiscally conservative, but a pay-as-you go (not a cut-taxes-at-any-cost) type. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/59 "2007-07-05T19:12:55Z")
Conservative, pretty much. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465/60 "2007-07-05T22:44:22Z")
I believe that the government has no business interfering in people’s personal lives (which includes what they put in their bodies, what they and their doctor decide they should do for their health and/or well being, or how they should believe). I think the government has a responsibility to the people to do the things that are too cumbersome or difficult for us to do by ourselves (like pave our roads, ensure our healthchare, educate our children, and protect our streets) - the question is not “public versus private?”, but “what do we need, and who is best able to provide it?” I believe government works best when it is local and accountable to the people. I favor fiscal responsibility with the taxpayer’s money, and I abhor pork barrel politics. I don’t own a gun, but I don’t think people’s guns should be taken away. I oppose abortion, but I don’t think it should be outlawed. Above all else, I support human rights and the protection of human dignity. And I’m anti-war, which I see as a for-profit enterprise orchestrated by the few to ensure fear and obedience in the masses. Oh…and I voted for Nader in 2000 (and remain damn proud of it). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-dopers-liberal-or-conservitive/410465.md?page=4)